


Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

by Kookykrumbs



Series: Dark Fate - Missing Scenes [3]
Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21551746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kookykrumbs/pseuds/Kookykrumbs
Summary: Dani struggles to apologize to Grace after putting herself in danger.  I've just posted Grace's POV.  This is now complete.  Enjoy!
Relationships: Grace & Dani Ramos, Grace/Dani Ramos
Series: Dark Fate - Missing Scenes [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557193
Comments: 17
Kudos: 135





	1. Dani's POV

** Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word **

****

**Summary:** Dani struggles to apologize to Grace after putting herself in danger. I imagine this taking place as they walk from their chopper to Carl’s home. For those of you who’ve read my other fic [A Bad Trade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21537544), this is a sort of sequel to that. (Dani’s POV. Grace’s POV will be in the next chapter).

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own any of these characters, I certainly don’t make money off them, I’m just taking them out to play.

**Author’s Notes:** I stole the title from an old Elton John song. I have no beta reader. Any and all mistakes are my own.

Dani heard Sarah give Grace instructions to land them a “click” away. She had no idea how far that was, but looking around and seeing nothing but trees, she figured there was a bit of a trek ahead of them. Sarah was leading the way and was about forty metres ahead, Grace on the other hand, was just slightly ahead of her, just several paces in front.

Grace. In the forty-eight hours or so of being with her, she’d never felt this much anger radiating from her. It’s not that she hadn’t seen her angry before. She had plenty of anger when she fought the Rev-9, or when Sarah turned their twosome team into a threesome. She’d seen her aloof to practically everyone they’d come across. But not to her. Never to her. Grace had shown her nothing but concern, kindness, and caring.

In fact, even with Grace ignoring her and obviously trying to rein her anger in, Dani noticed she still kept glancing back at her, making sure she was alright. There was a hill they had to climb a few minutes ago, and Grace still made sure to give her a hand during the steepest sections… albeit a cold hand.

A part of Dani was upset that she was beginning to feel guilty and that she was beginning to concede that Grace’s anger was warranted. It didn’t help that Sarah, who didn’t even like Grace and vice versa, sided with the time-traveler. But what was Dani supposed to do? Just leave Sarah to die? Even if the Rev-9 hadn’t killed her, she would’ve been taken back into custody by border agents. What life would Sarah have had then? Dani owed her life to Sarah just as much as she did to Grace. 

But then Dani thought back to her conversation with Grace the day before. She remembered Grace telling her that this was a “one-way ticket” for her. Grace didn’t have to say it, but Dani understood that the woman in front of her gave up her home to protect her. She was willing to give up her life without question for her. Dani still didn’t understand it. Why Grace was willing, _eager_ in fact, to keep her alive. Oh, she’d heard the whole _without you the future is doomed_ spiel, but a part of her was still incredibly sceptical. And it’s not that she didn’t trust Grace… it’s just that she didn’t believe her. More than that, Dani didn’t believe in herself. 

Dani knew how close she came on that rooftop to ruining Grace’s entire mission. And despite not truly believing that if she didn’t survive, no one would make it, she knew Grace believed it. Believed it enough to put herself between Dani and danger, time and time again. Dani let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and forced her shorter legs to walk faster to catch up with Grace’s longer strides.

“I know you’re angry with me,” Dani said, walking beside Grace.

Grace only looked at her, but didn’t say anything.

Dani tried again. “I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m not going out of my way to make your mission harder for you.”

“I know,” Grace answered, almost in a whisper.

Dani knew she should just outright apologize. She didn’t know why _sorry_ seemed to get stuck in her throat. “To be honest, I didn’t even really think. I just saw Sarah and I couldn’t leave her behind.”

Grace just nodded. Dani realized that she wasn’t going to make this easy for her. Perhaps she deserved it, she admitted to herself. “How long are you going to be angry at me, Grace?”

“I’m not angry at you.”

“Well, if this is you not being angry then I’d hate to see - ”

“I’m hurt.”

“Oh.” Somehow, Dani would have preferred anger. She hadn’t expected that. She felt small, and that was saying something, considering her slight stature.

“I thought you trusted me,” Grace said, barely above a whisper.

“You know I do,” Dani said.

“Then I don’t understand how you could deliberately put yourself in front of a Rev-9 Terminator who was charging at you, at full speed no less,” Grace said. 

“Because I couldn’t bear to leave Sarah behind. Just like I would never leave you behind,” Dani said.

“Sarah and I don’t matter. All that matters is that you survive, because without you, then nobody makes it. Not where it counts. Why can’t you understand that?” Grace said, her frustration showing.

“It’s not that I don’t understand…. It’s that I can’t believe it,” Dani answered.

“What don’t you believe?” Grace asked.

“That I’m someone. That _little me_ is important enough to have someone like you give up everything to keep me alive. That a nobody like me could possibly be important enough to assassinate. I mean, you’re from 2042 for god’s sake. If what Sarah says is true, then that’s not leaving me a lot of time to have this saviour child for mankind. Not to mention, I don’t even have any prospect let alone a boyfriend or husband who’s willing to help make me a mother,” Dani said, throwing her hands up in the air.

“You’re just going to have to trust me… _believe me_ , when I tell you that right now, there’s no person alive who is more important than you,” Grace said. “You have to promise me, that you’ll never do something like that again.”

“I can’t promise that,” Dani said, her voice apologetic. Grace gave her a _haven’t you been listening_ look. “If you or Sarah are in danger and I can save you, I won’t hesitate. I’m giving you fair warning now.”

Grace scoffed. “Unbelievable,” she mumbled.

Dani did not appreciate that tone from Grace. “You know, I’m sorry that your mission almost went sideways because of me, but in the last forty-eight hours, I’ve become a fugitive, I’ve lost my home, my father, my brother and probably my god damn dog and -”

“You think this is all this is to me? A mission?” Grace asked, obviously equally angry. 

“Well, what else is it? And besides, it’s not like your commander can reprimand you if you fail this mission, you can’t even go home.” Dani regretted the words the moment they were past her lips. “Look, Grace, I -”

“You’re right, I can’t go home. I left the person I loved most to be here with you. To protect you. To keep you alive. The least you can do is not make my job harder.”

The wounded look in Grace’s eyes was almost more than Dani could stand. Dani didn’t quite understand the pain in her chest at the mention of some stranger in the future that Grace loved most. It almost felt like jealousy. She shoved the feeling aside.

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve lost, Grace. But you and Sarah are the only family I have left. And I won’t apologize for not wanting to lose either of you,” Dani said.

Grace nodded wearily. Dani knew she could be stubborn when she wanted to be. But she also wanted to offer an olive branch. “I promise I will do my best to stay alive, Grace. I’m beginning to understand why this means so much to you. But if you or Sarah are in danger, I will help you. I don’t know how not to. I guess you’ll just have to do your best to take care of yourselves as well.”

“Okay,” Grace said, acquiescing. And Dani was relieved to see the tenderness back in her protector’s eyes.

“Hey you two! Hurry up, I see the house now,” Sarah yelled from about forty meters away. 

Dani and Grace instinctively quickened their pace. After a few more metres of walking Dani noticed a quaint looking home. As they drew nearer, she saw a white van with advertising written on it.

“So, Carl? That’s the plan? Carl’s the mystery texter,” Dani said, sighing.

**Author’s Notes:** I hope you guys enjoyed this little missing scene. Thank you for all the kind words.


	2. Grace's POV

** Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Part 2 **

****

**Summary:** This is Grace’s POV

She was so angry. The feeling of helplessness that she suffered through when Dani jumped out of the chopper still stung. Grace could still remember feeling her blood turn to ice when she realized she didn’t have enough time to get between Dani and the Terminator. 

She couldn’t remember feeling such fury. She was angry at the men who created Legion. She was angry at fate for forcing her to leave her Dani in the future. She was angry at Dani for always putting others’ safety before her own. But most of all, she was angry at herself for not having anticipated that Dani would. 

Because that’s who Daniella Ramos was. Selfless and brave to the core. It’s one of the many reasons she loved her so much. It’s also why she had not had a good night’s rest in what seemed like forever. She was constantly in a state of worry. Even at the moment while she was flaming angry, she still kept glancing back at Dani making sure she was alright.

She heard a shuffle of footsteps draw closer to her. She knew it was Dani, but she didn’t acknowledge her. Her emotions were still so close to the surface.

“I know you’re angry with me,” Dani said. No, Grace was angry at herself. She knew she should have put herself between Dani and the door. She should have shoved her in the cockpit first.

“I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m not going out of my way to make your mission harder for you,” Dani said, obviously not giving up.

“I know.” And she did. That was the frustrating part for Grace. What Dani did back there on that rooftop. That was classic Dani. _Leave no one behind_ had always been her commander’s motto. It seemed she lived by it even before she had put words to it.

“To be honest, I didn’t even really think. I just saw Sarah and I couldn’t leave her behind,” Dani said. 

Grace was reminded of the time her Dani couldn’t leave a cadet behind on the battlefield. They had been on a mission to steal weapons and provisions from a heavily guarded site. Their whole squadron had already been in the clear and were about to take-off when a cadet was hit in the leg. He fell behind. Dani ran back to get him, ignoring Grace’s screams. 

Grace of course hadn’t been too far behind, but far enough that she couldn’t get to Dani in time before a Rev-7 got a good shot at her. They were then forced to transport a gravely injured Dani back to base, and that’s when Grace almost died protecting her. It was the reason she had felt forced to volunteer for the human augmentation program. She would rather give up her humanity than leave Dani without her protection.

“How long are you going to be angry at me, Grace?”

Grace sighed. It was the same look her Dani always gave her when she knew Grace was pissed at her for putting herself in danger, but was obviously not sorry for it. 

“I’m not angry at you.” _I’m angry at myself_. 

“Well, if this is you not being angry then I’d hate to see - ”

“I’m hurt,” Grace said. She hadn’t meant to say what was in her heart. But there it was.

“Oh.” 

Grace wasn’t even entirely sure why she felt so hurt, only that she was. Was it because Dani, each iteration of Dani that she knew, was constantly putting herself in danger? Was it because this Dani, even _her Dani_ , didn’t realize what it would do to her if she lost her? 

She settled for saying, “I thought you trusted me.”

“You know I do,” Dani answered.

“Then I don’t understand how you could deliberately put yourself in front of a Rev-9 Terminator who was charging at you, at full speed no less,” Grace said. 

“Because I couldn’t bear to leave Sarah behind. Just like I would never leave you behind,” Dani said.

“Sarah and I don’t matter. All that matters is that you survive, because without you, then nobody makes it. Not where it counts. Why can’t you understand that?”

Grace looked into Dani’s eyes, willing her to understand what she couldn’t put into words. _Without you, I’d having nothing to live for. If anything happened to you, my world would end._

“It’s not that I don’t understand,” Dani said, stubbornly. “It’s that I can’t believe it.”

“What don’t you believe?” Grace asked, confused.

“That I’m someone. That _little me_ is important enough to have someone like you give up everything to keep me alive. That a nobody like me could possibly be important enough to assassinate. I mean, you’re from 2042 for god’s sake. If what Sarah says is true, then that’s not leaving me a lot of time to have this saviour child for mankind. Not to mention, I don’t even have any prospect let alone a boyfriend or husband who’s willing to help make me a mother,” Dani said, throwing her hands up in the air.

Grace stopped walking for a moment. She just stared hard at the tiny woman before her. Dani truly didn’t realize the importance of her existence. Grace wished so hard she could tell her everything. How many people she saved, the communities she’d built, the victories she’d orchestrated… But most of all, she wished she could tell her what they meant to each other.

Instead, Grace settled for saying, “You’re just going to have to trust me… _believe me_ , when I tell you that right now, there’s no person alive who is more important than you. You have to promise me, that you’ll never do something like that again.”

“I can’t promise that,” Dani said, lifting her chin defiantly. _Jesus Christ._ “If you or Sarah are in danger and I can save you, I won’t hesitate. I’m giving you fair warning now.”

How many times had she seen those set jaws before? Those determined eyes? “Unbelievable.” Grace could only shake her head in defeat.

“You know, I’m sorry that your mission almost went sideways because of me, but in the last forty-eight hours, I’ve become a fugitive, I’ve lost my home, my father, my brother and probably my god damn dog and -”

“You think this is all this is to me? A mission?” Grace was so angry she could barely see straight. If Dani hadn’t meant so much to her, she’d have knocked some sense into her right there and then… literally.

“Well, what else is it? And besides, it’s not like your commander can reprimand you if you fail this mission, you can’t even go home.”

Grace felt as if she’d been slapped. But she quickly regained her composure. This Dani had no reason to believe she was anything more than a mission. But Grace had hoped…

“Look, Grace, I -”

“You’re right, I can’t go home. I left the person I loved most to be here with you. To protect you. To keep you alive. The least you can do is not make my job harder.” _Don’t make it harder, because if I failed, if anything happened to you, you would take my hope with you._

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve lost, Grace. But you and Sarah are the only family I have left. And I won’t apologize for not wanting to lose either of you,” Dani said.

Grace could only nod. There were things about Dani that made her Dani. And as frustrating as it was, it’s what made her who she was. Grace couldn’t change that. She realized she wouldn’t even if she could.

“I promise I will do my best to stay alive, Grace. I’m beginning to understand why this means so much to you. But if you or Sarah are in danger, I will help you. I don’t know how not to. I guess you’ll just have to do your best to take care of yourselves as well.”

_The more things change…_ “Okay.” _The more they stay the same._

“Hey you two! Hurry up, I see the house now,” Sarah yelled, interrupting the moment.

Dani picked up her pace and moved slightly ahead of Grace. She watched her for a moment. Grace had no doubt that this woman before her would one day be the death of her. This tiny woman who looked so fragile, yet had a spine of steel. This woman who found a half-starved orphan and gave her all the love in the world. This woman who couldn’t yet find her own self-worth, yet was able to love those she’d only just met, who wouldn’t hesitate to risk her life to protect them… 

It was why Dani was the person Grace loved the most.

**Author’s Notes:** Thank you all so much for reading and for all the kind words. Your feedback is food for my writer’s soul. If you want to send me a msg, feel free to e-mail me at kooky.krumbs@yahoo.com 


End file.
